Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers ISSN:2288-0291(Print) 2288-2790(Online) 한국자원공학회지

Anomalous transport taking place in a heterogeneous reservoir is shown to skewed breakthrough curve. The conventional streamline simulation, which can examine anomalous transport in 2D approach, is incapable in extending to 3D discrete fractured media due to a meshing problem and a local heterogeneity of apertures. A new streamline simulator with incomplete mixing model was developed for the mass transport on quadrilateral grids generated automatically. Breakthrough curve in 3D discrete fractured reservoir has a positively skewed characteristic, which confirms that the anomalous transport is influenced by not only geological heterogeneity, but also pressure distribution and variable apertures. Inter-well tracer test shows that the tracer moves selectively along intersection lines or fracture planes in the direction of decreasing pressure gradient in relatively realistic manner. These results are supported by a trajectory of streamlines and a distribution of pressure.